Super microbe discovered that eats Martian dust to produce oxygen

//Summary - Level-B2//

Scientists at Rome Tor Vergata University have discovered a microbe called Chroococcidiopsis (nicknamed Kuro), which can survive extreme conditions like deserts, polar regions, and even space. This cyanobacterium can endure radiation, freezing temperatures, and a lack of water by entering suspended animation. Experiments on the ISS showed it could survive Mars-like conditions, repair DNA, and resume life when rehydrated. Kuro can grow in simulated Martian and lunar soils, producing oxygen through photosynthesis and tolerating toxic perchlorates. Its resilience makes it a strong candidate for supporting human life on Mars, the Moon, or even distant exoplanets.

A)
1)
A future where humans inhabit Mars.

Essential to this is the existence of “life forms” capable of producing fresh oxygen, food, and resources.

A discovery has been reported that brings us one step closer to such dreamlike technology.

2)
The latest research from Rome Tor Vergata University (URTV) has revealed the astonishing existence of a microorganism that feeds on Martian dust to produce oxygen.

Its name is “Chroococcidiopsis”.

This super microbe could become the foundation supporting humanity's dreams of Mars colonisation and lunar bases.

Details of the research were published in the scientific journal “Acta Astronautica” on 6 September 2025.

B)
3)
What is the desert microbe “Chroococcidiopsis”?
Chroococcidiopsis – a rather long name, so let's simply call it “Kuro” for short.

Kuro is a type of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that inhabits Earth's harsh environments, such as deserts and polar regions.

4)
Its most remarkable feature lies in its tenacious survival ability, enabling it to endure extreme conditions—such as desiccation, intense ultraviolet radiation, and radiation—where most organisms cannot survive.

For instance, Croco, discovered in deserts worldwide, including Antarctica, Asia, and America, can enter a state of suspended animation for extended periods in near-waterless conditions, only to revive when conditions improve.

C)
5)
Furthermore, they possess the wisdom to form colonies within micro-shelters like rock crevices or beneath stones, where ultraviolet light struggles to penetrate.

The survival capabilities of black bacteria continue to astonish scientists.

For instance, in terrestrial laboratories, they survive exposure to ultra-high doses of gamma radiation—24,000 greys (2,400 times the lethal dose for humans)—a level humans could never endure.

6)
They can survive in extreme cold down to minus 80 degrees Celsius or within salt-laden ice, entering a state akin to hibernation.

This “utterly resilient organism” has become a crucial model organism for determining whether life can survive in unknown environments like space or Mars.

D)
7)
Could they become key players in producing oxygen on Mars?

Kuro's true capabilities were demonstrated in actual space experiments.

In experiments like BIOMEX and BOSS, led by the European Space Agency (ESA) aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Kuro was exposed to space radiation, vacuum conditions, and intense ultraviolet radiation similar to Mars' environment for approximately one and a half years in a dried state.

8)
The results showed that when protected by thin shelters like rocks or sand (regolith), Kuro could even reflect high-energy ultraviolet radiation, allowing many cells to survive.

More astonishingly, when returned to Earth after the experiment and given water, the Kuro cells repaired their own DNA damage and resumed activity as before.

Moreover, no adverse effects, such as mutations, were observed in the next generation.

E)
9)
Kuro has also been confirmed to grow in simulated lunar and Martian soils, producing oxygen through photosynthesis using ‘minerals in the soil and sunlight’.

This represents the prime candidate technology for “in-situ resource utilisation” on Mars or the Moon, enabling the production of oxygen, food, and biomass using only local resources.

10)
Furthermore, Kuro exhibits tolerance to harmful perchlorates, prevalent in Martian soil, and can protect its cells by activating DNA repair genes.

Special strains capable of photosynthesis using infrared light have also been discovered, making it a model for potential life on exoplanets or icy moons where only infrared radiation reaches.

11)
Space programmes utilising E. coli are currently underway. Research is progressing on sending dried E. coli into space, then “awakening” it by adding water when needed, to serve as an “oxygen factory” or “biomass factory” for space stations.

Moss is a resilient entity capable of surviving and reviving even in environments previously deemed inhospitable by humankind.

Should the era arrive when humanity advances to Mars, the Moon, or even exoplanets, moss may well be playing a pivotal role in shaping those environments.